Dish's 'Auto-Hop' Ad Skipper Versus Networks

Dish Network and the major TV networks are suing each other over what Dish calls its “best in class DVR” technology that lets viewers skip over TV commercials with a single click.
“Ultimately, this case is about consumer choice,” said Dish in a complaint filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court. The satellite TV provider wants the court to declare that it is not
infringing copyright or breaching the terms of its contracts with Fox, NBC, ABC and CBS. Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter reports that Fox has filed a separate suit against Dish to “aggressively defend the future of free,
over-the-air television.” Unlike other DVRs, viewers can, on the Dish DVR, skip an entire set of commercials rather than fast-forwarding or skipping in 30-second jumps. The so-called “ad
eraser” may delight consumers, but the TV networks reacted angrily during a conclave with advertisers in New York last week.